The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) understands that, beyond parents, coaches influence young people more than any other group. As a result, the focus of FCA’s ministry is to engage, equip, and empower coaches for Christ.
In his new book, Them: Why We Hate Each Other–and How to Heal
My dad was a football and wrestling coach, and because he also refereed six different sports, Friday evening was typically a work night for him — with me tagging along as a gym rat. Most of his friends were teachers, coaches, and refs, as well, but to everyone he was “Coach Sasse.”
Dad’s work defined him in positive and fulfilling ways. Everywhere we went, people recognized him and greeted him with shouts of “Coach Sasse!” I heard him called that so many times that as a 5- or 6- year old, I suspected his first name might be “Coach” instead of “Gary.” It was who he was.
He’d earned this honorofic through years of work on the field and in the gym. I can still see him running drills, painting fields and diamonds, driving vans through snowstorms, riding buses home late from away games, scheduling matches, printing out statistics, breaking down film, drawing up plays, photocopying depth charts, going to camps, organizing postgame meals and postseason banquets, washing loads of towels that stank so badly they could’ve walked to the washing machine on their own, exulting with kids in a victory, visiting the hospital after an injury, and — most of all — putting his arm around a player’s shoulder and urging him to persevere after a painful loss. He earned his title by investing in our community and in the lives of young men —- by yelling at boys when they needed it and by offering an encouraging word when it was of use. He helped lay a foundation of character and fortitude in his players.
Three decades later, when I accepted a post as a college-president back home, men would regularly approach me to ask if I was related to Coach Sassse. When I said, he’s my dad, time after time they open up to me — a stranger — about the ways my dad had changed their lives. On a dozen occasions, men have become emotional telling me how my dad stood in, at some time in some way, for their missing dads.
I grasped little of this when I was in elementary school, but there was still a hint of recognition in my decision, in third-grade flag football, to ask to have “Lil’ Sasse” instead of “Ben” on the back of the hoodie we all got for cold games. Dad didn’t coach any elementary grade teams, but I still wanted to be tied to his identity as a coach. I wanted to be connected to his work.
After he had retired, I would take him to Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium for Nebraska football games (the Huskers being the winningest team of the last half-century, as you probably know). Nebraska hasn’t had an unsold seat to a home game since October 1962 — by far the longest sellout streak in college sports — so it’s important to get there early to navigate 90,000 fans. But as meaningful as it is to buy a Runza (a uniquely Nebraska Russian-German food), to join in the “Husker Power” chants, to cheer the Tunnel Walk to the deafening sounds of the Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” blasting from the loudspeakers, to review a video montage of the Big Red’s five national championships since 1970, or to salute the military flyover, there’s a different sound that I’ll probably remember best in my old age. And that is when some guy inevitably shouts, as Dad and I are working our way up the stands: “Hey, Coach Sasse! Over here!” No matter their age, you can hear the respect and affection in their voices. Some of them haven’t seen him since junior high, but they carry their own football and wrestling stories in their hearts. Some of it can surely be chalked up to their personal nostalgia about their youth rather than his exceptional instruction, but he still held a role in their narrative: He was “Coach.”
What a great tribute to an obviously great man!
I’m so thankful for the inspiring coaches in my kids’ lives. Cade’s football coach is a Christian and has used several Bible stories (parable of the talent, David and Goliath, etc.) to get his team fired up. What an impact on my boy to see a man so respected by his peers (and himself) using God’s Word to offer inspiration and guidance.
They were undefeated this year, by the way. What an impact on an impressionable kid, who’s making big decisions about the man he will be.
In my short time as an FCA staff member in northern Illinois, I have seen one coach led to Christ by a fellow coach. Already this academic year, hundreds of athletes have heard the gospel from their coaches – many for the first time. High school and college students are now an unreached people group. Praise the Lord for Godly coaches.
While hundreds of young athletes have heard the gospel already during this academic year from their coach – many for the first time.